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#961992 by gilders
18 Jul 2023, 21:55
I used my points to book MCO-MAN for May 9th 2024 in Upper Class (VS76 @ 2025). I chose this flight rather than using my points on the outbound LHR-LAS as I only had enough points for 1 PE and 1 UC and as MCO-MAN was listed as a A350 it made sense to me as the 787 to LAS has the wider PE seats.

I have now noticed that there is an even later flight on the MCO-MAN route (VS74 @ 2215). Both are listed as A350 aircraft.

Do Virgin have enough A350 aircraft to fly 2 of them MCO - MAN 2 hours apart and serve the other routes that usually use A350s? Or will one of those flights likely be a different aircraft?

I will not be impressed if the Upper Class flight is not the A350, especially as I forfeited the Upper Class lounge at Heathrow for my early evening flight and I will have flown down from MAN the night before.
#961994 by VS075
18 Jul 2023, 22:03
There are a couple of A350s due to be delivered later this year, so there’s a good chance they will both be A350s by next year. However, I’d be careful about booking a flight solely for the aircraft and especially this far out in advance.

There’s also the risk of one of these rotations being cancelled and everyone consolidated onto the other flight if loadings aren’t looking good. I had this happen to me in 2016 when the 75/76 flights we were booked on were cancelled months in advance and we were rebooked onto the 73/74.
#962005 by gilders
19 Jul 2023, 13:28
Thanks for the replies.
Had to book early as the reward seats get snapped up quickly and I needed these dates.
It will be my first time in UC, so I'm sure I'll enjoy it whatever the aircraft.
The consolidating onto one aircraft is a worry. If Virgin can easily fit economy and premium in to one aircraft, but can't with UC. I'd guess we'd be first to be downgraded as we have reward seats and no tier status?
#962006 by CommanderB
19 Jul 2023, 14:57
gilders wrote:Thanks for the replies.
Had to book early as the reward seats get snapped up quickly and I needed these dates.
It will be my first time in UC, so I'm sure I'll enjoy it whatever the aircraft.
The consolidating onto one aircraft is a worry. If Virgin can easily fit economy and premium in to one aircraft, but can't with UC. I'd guess we'd be first to be downgraded as we have reward seats and no tier status?


VS are actually pretty good in these situations. They tend not to oversell the leisure routes because they know people always turn up. So honestly, I wouldn't worry.

On my recent flight back to MAN from MCO, they were overbooked by 3 in Upper. As it was the leisure config A350 with only 16 seats, I was very concerned. The overbooking was due to the Aer Lingus flight being cancelled, and some deal had been done to get those passengers on the VS flight. Everyone who checked in at the Upper desk were offered either a free* return flight in Upper or 75% of the cost of their ticket reimbursed.

I was on a reward seat and didn't get bumped but I kept a close eye on what was happening and I believe a family took the offer and resolved the situation. Whether they were one of the Aer Lingus passengers or a native VS traveller, I do not know.

I've also been on plenty of other flights with a reward ticket in Upper and also not been bumped despite overbooking. Perhaps my status or luck has been the factor. But either way, I think VS are good at dealing with it on the occasions it happens, as rare as that is.

*The free ticket offered is actually just a reward ticket. You need reward availability to use it and you still pay the taxes & fees. So it isn't as great as they make it out to be although it can be worthwhile for flights that you're happy to take in Premium.
#962007 by mitchja
19 Jul 2023, 15:51
VS have also recently been using the 16 seat low J config A350 on the MAN>JFK route as well, though it seems to be back to the usual A333 this week.
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